Tournament Preview: Yonex Bulgarian International Championships 2025

2nd October by Robert McLean

A strong Scottish squad has descended on the Bulgarian capital Sofia this week, as the Yonex Bulgarian International Championships gets underway. The Future Series event offers a valuable opportunity for emerging and established players alike to earn world ranking points and test themselves against rising international talent.

Scottish Squad in Focus

Scotland is fielding a talented and ambitious group, with nine players across all five disciplines:
James Robertson, Matthew Waring, Ganesh Balaji, Finlay Jack, Evan Kenny, Josh Taylor, Rachel Sugden, Katrina Chan, and Katie Stewart.

Early Action: Mixed Fortunes in Qualifying

Qualifying rounds kicked off earlier today, with mixed results for the Scottish contingent.

  • Ganesh Balaji exited in the opening round, falling to Finland’s Safin Emran in straight sets.

  • Finlay Jack pushed Turkey’s Yazgan Calisir to three sets in a gritty performance but ultimately came up short.

Still to come in qualifying action:

  • Josh Taylor and Katie Stewart, seeded 2nd in mixed doubles qualifying, face Turkish duo Nurullah Calik and Iremsu Curuk in a must-win match to progress to the main draw.

  • Katrina Chan also faces Iremsu Curuk in women’s singles qualifying (Round of 32), looking to secure her spot in the main draw.

Main Draw Preview: Seeds, Stars & Scottish Hopes

With qualifying winding down, attention now turns to the main draw – where several Scots begin their campaigns.

  • In men’s doubles, Evan Kenny and Josh Taylor begin directly in the main draw. They face Lithuanian pair Rokas Lesinskas and Nojus Tenikaitis in their opening round – a match that promises to be tightly contested.

  • Rachel Sugden, Scotland’s standout entry this week, enters as the No.1 seed in women’s singles. She opens her campaign against Poland’s Jessica Orzechowicz (WR #387) and will look to set the tone early.

  • James Robertson starts in the men’s singles main draw and will face the winner of Q1 once the qualifying rounds are complete.

  • Matthew Waring also begins in the men’s singles draw, taking on Germany’s Justin Seibel (WR #416) in a potentially challenging first round.

What’s at Stake

While ranking points and match experience are valuable rewards, this event is also an important stepping stone toward higher-tier BWF tournaments. For Scottish players, a strong showing in Sofia could provide a springboard to further international success this season.

Stay Updated

We’ll be following the team’s progress closely throughout the week. Be sure to keep an eye on our official website and social channels for a full tournament roundup once the action concludes.

Best of luck to all our players — let’s go, Team Scotland!

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